Caged
by Skysha-Tranqui
Summary: [ON HIATUS]Government scientists have created a new species. However, they still don't know what the species are capable of, and this species are getting tired of being held on a leash. Will be 1x2 and 3x4, with possible others. What will happen when the
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, or any of its characters, so don't sue me!

Pairings: 1x2 3x4 5x6x15 (not sure if 6 and 15 are the right numbers, soo…zechs and treize it's meant to be) maybe SxR and HxDxN not sure yet…

Plot:Pretty usual fare. Governments experimenting on people in an attempt to create the 'perfect' agents. Unfortunately for them they aren't quite sure what they've succeeded in creating this time. Their masterpieces complete missions with ease and are more than the governments ever thought they'd get, but…the governments don't know just what the extent of those capabilities really are, and whilst they appear to be loyal at the moment, they don't know how long that will remain to be the case.

****

Chapter One - Mission Specs

A slim black wallet landed on the stainless steel with a dull slap. Eyelids flickered slightly, before rising out of helpless curiosity. Blue eyes briefly scanned the object, but when no identifying features stood out the person allowed their eyelids to lazily close, long eyelashes veiling any expression from those watching.

The visitor sighed impatiently, shoving a rough hand through harried brown hair. "Come on, you know how this works by now!" No response came from the still figure lying on the stainless steel cot, so the visitor reached out to the folder he'd put on the table.

Gloved hands flicked the black wallet open, and quickly rifled through the papers contained inside. Blueprints, specifications and photographs all spread out thanks to rushing fingertips.

"You're target this time is an old science building, as opposed to the normal high-tech government agencies. You need to destroy any data they may have on the creatures such as yourself, and there's also some suspicions that they may have attempted to replicate the procedure."

"Some of the scientists who used to work there started asking some unwanted questions. Said scientists then disappeared. We have been unable to ascertain what was done to them, but rumour suggests they might have become the test subjects. All relevant information about these missing people has been provided. If you happen upon them or find out what happened to them you are to bring them back with you, or else collect any information you can."

Washed out blue eyes flicked up from the documents he was studying, and warily eyed the room's occupant. Whether for confirmation he was being listened to, or just to check there was still someone else in there was unsure, but he soon returned his gaze to the stainless steel table, apparently finding that a preferable view to the silent, unmoving, black-clothed person he was currently sharing space with.

"You'll be equipped with the usual gadgets, and your partner this time will be number one." Finished with the debriefing, the man shuffled the papers into a hasty pile before quickly withdrawing his gloved hands, placing them back in the pockets of his white coat.

Hesitating briefly on his way out, the man refused to look back into the room. "I suggest you look through the material yourself in case I missed something, and you might want to commit the photographs of the missing scientists to memory."

Not waiting for the answer that wasn't coming, the man hurriedly exited the room once the guards opened the door for him, still not looking back. Afterall, it was said they reacted badly to being stared at.

Silence reigned in the room after the man left, or so it appeared to any outsider. To the person lying on the cold, hard cot though, the room was still alive with sounds. Echoes reverberated in the wake of the man who'd just left the room, and the figure knew he'd be able to pick that sole man out of a crowd of thousands, simply from the short amount of time he'd spent in his presence.

Despite never looking at the man when he was there, the figure knew that man's exact shoe size, weight, skin tone, hair style and colour, as well as how long and sharp the man's nails were. He knew that man's favourite food, drink and even what music he liked listening to. And to top it all, he knew that man wafted cheap cigarettes and used porn magazines with every step he took, as though the business of debauchery was about to go out of business.

Listening to his other half, the figure decided man's parting comment has been surprisingly good advice, so he swung himself off the cot and headed for the black folder with its inconspicuous pieces of paper. Ignoring the building plans for the time being, intrinsically knowing his assigned partner would focus on them and the specs of the mission, he turned his attention to the photographs and information on the missing scientists instead.

Expecting to see a nerdy representation similar to that of the man who had just vacated the room, he found himself surprised for the first time since the whole mess had first begun. Staring out at him in what were obviously planned photos, were two men on a physical par with that of the others held here. One man held a cherubic beauty, complete with pouting lips and large, innocent eyes, whilst the other man was all lean planes, and high cheekbones.

Given the pattern followed in the other experiments, he wouldn't be surprised at all if the two missing scientists had been experimented on, as they definitely followed the element required for the experiment to succeed. That of exotic beauty. For some reason the procedure just didn't take in those who looked 'normal', and sometimes even the classic beauties didn't survive the process.

A quick hand tousled his blond hair into his eyes, a predetermined shielding mechanism designed to hide the more translucent thoughts on his face from the hidden cameras they thought he didn't know about. A quick consultation with his counter half drew the same conclusion he had reached, and then drew his attention to the pictures of the second man.

Trowa Barton. Head scientist before they'd started this project and he'd voiced his objections, after which he had disappeared. Examining the photograph more closely, he tried to imagine what type of person that face and those eyes belonged to.

****

Short I know, but I just wanted to try starting it at least. I wasn't sure whether to make this an original story or not, so I figured for now at least I could toy with the storyline using Gundam Wing characters. In case you didn't get it, the main figure in this chapter was Quatre, and his current partner [number one] is Heero. The man who was talking to him earlier is an original character and unimportant, he was just serving as an extra.

Anyway, please R&R, as I haven't written anything for a while and would appreciate feedback on this writing style. Cheers! and enjoy!!


	2. Mission Part One

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, or any of its characters, so don't sue me!

Pairings: 1x2 3x4 5x6x13 (thanks to the person who reviewed and corrected my number mistake - I don't know french I'm afraid) maybe SxR and HxDxN not sure yet…

Plot:Pretty usual fare. Governments experimenting on people in an attempt to create the 'perfect' agents. Unfortunately for them they aren't quite sure what they've succeeded in creating this time. Their masterpieces complete missions with ease and are more than the governments ever thought they'd get, but…the governments don't know just what the extent of those capabilities really are, and whilst they appear to be loyal at the moment, they don't know how long that will remain to be the case.

__

}Telepathic speech{

}Comm Link speech{

****

Chapter One - Mission Underway

Hospital-style green tiles shone under the unrelenting beams of light - freshly polished, and smelling like it. Plain white walls reflected the light back from every direction, giving the whole place the feel that it was under a spotlight.

Lightly stepping across the open space, Number Four found himself shaking his head in disgust at the set-up of the place. Illuminating lights, cameras and keypads everywhere, 'protecting' the building, yet nobody was actually keeping an eye on them. What was the point of having them, if you weren't going to put them to proper use?

A pale slim hand brushed his blonde hair out of his eyes, and he idly wondered if his partner had accessed the computer database yet.

Mutually agreeing to let Number One retrieve and destroy the information, they'd decided to leave any guards and the missing scientists to Number Four, as he was well-known for his ability to handle people. Then, they'd destroy the building itself together, and head back to base, and their cells for debriefing.

_}Quatre, I found something in the database which doesn't make any sense. It appears as though this facility is a part of the Romefella organisation we are now owned by. But…I don't understand why Romefella would send us to destroy their own facility?{_

Turquoise eyes narrowed in suspicion, and Number Four's strategic mind quickly ran through their possible reasonings. Understanding, as Number One did, that their comm communications were always closely monitored on missions, to prevent rebellion, Number Four responded telepathically, as his partner had contacted him.

_}It is possible this is merely a test for us - to see how we'd react to such blatant betrayal. Or, this facility may have started acting independently, which is a rather big possibility, given how small it is, and thus not closely monitored like the others. Do you know what they were last documented to be working on? Our brief said Romefella suspected it to be the procedure used to create our kind.{_

}Yes. To all appearances they were attempting to replicate the experiments we were subjected to. But isn't this what Romefella wanted?{

}Hmm, I suspect this facility in particular was told to refrain from such experiments, given it's size and equipment, which is inadequate to host such a thing. Likely, Romefella wanted only their main labs to do it, in order to maintain full control over the subjects. As it is, if the rest of our information was correct, this facility already managed to experiment on two people without Romefella permission, which would not go down very well.{

}Your thesis is sound, but where does that leave these test subjects? We can't allow Romefella to destroy them, yet we are incapable of helping them as of yet.{

}It all depends on what actually happened to them. If they were indeed subjected to the procedure, we need to know how successful it was. It's quite likely Romefella will keep them on if the experiment was a success, and if they do so, then we can protect them from the inside.{

}…you continued your search, and I'll finish my side of the mission.{

Not bothering to acknowledge the last comment, Number Four reached up, and slid the grill panel leading to the air ducts out of the way. Gripping the edge of the hole in the ceiling with both hands, a quick heave enabled him to smoothly swing himself up, and out of the too-bright corridor.

Nimble fingers soundlessly replaced the grill, and peering through the metal squares, his blue-green eyes watched the guard walk underneath him. Arching an eyebrow in rare amusement, he quickly set off down the duct, hands and knees propelling him in the direction the facilities hospital bay should be.

Specks of light eventually indicated another grill up ahead in the dimness, and the sound of nervous voices indicated its possible usefulness. Glancing at the plastic map he'd been issued, in order to assure his instincts were correct, Number Four found it hard to believe it was the hospital bay beneath him.

Empty of beds, or medicines, the bay was filled to the brim with armed guards instead. Bristling with guns and knives, the men and women looked like they were about to go and fight an army, nevermind guard a facility.

Taking in the man in a white jacket who was going around issuing a gun to each of the guards, Number Four traced the source of the new guns to a blank-faced nurse who was filling the remaining guns with some kind of darts. Homing in on a hypodermic needle with a drop of liquid hanging on its tip, Number Four enhanced his sense of smell, until he managed to pick up the mixture. Tranquilliser. Very potent tranquilliser at that, from what he could smell he'd guess it was at least three times as strong as that used on a typical human.

Touching a gentle finger to the comm attached to his throat, Number Four contacted Number One through the 'regular' channels.

}I found the medical bay. Empty of patients. Filled to the brim with armed guards, who are being handed out guns filled with tranquilliser even as I speak. We haven't triggered any alarms yet, and it seems a bit overkill for a few scientists. I'll take them out of the equation now.{

No answer came from Number One, but that was to be expected. He tried to refrain from talking as much as possible, particularly when he knew his 'owners' could hear him. His reticence was such that they'd worried his vocal cords had been damaged by the procedure. When they'd found out that wasn't the case they'd tried to send in speech coaches and therapists, but they'd eventually stopped that after the first ten all ended up in hospital.

Deciding not to let the rest of the guards get tranquillisers as well, Number Four moved into action. Removing the grill and dropping through the opening, feet first.

Landing in a crouch his narrowed eyes took in the guards' stunned expressions, and his training told him to take advantage of it.

Rising up at an angle, he rammed his shoulder into the nearest guard's shoulder, sending him crashing backwards into a wall. A sidekick took care of the next guard, and the swift follow-up of several punches took care of another one. By then though, the rest of the guards had recovered somewhat and decided to put their guns into play.

Turning a quick cartwheel enabled Number Four to dodge the first hail, and the close succession of a backflip put him behind the relative protection of a cabinet.

The roar of the weapons proceeded the bullets themselves, and Number Four couldn't contain his wince at the 'thunk thunk' that was the balls of metal tearing up his source of protection.

Deciding he'd had enough of hiding, and with the justification that people who were so obviously violent deserved whatever pain life dished out, Number Four stole a quick peak around the room. Confirming the lack of recording devices, Number Four rose to his feet, and unleashed his other half.

After that the fight was over in minutes, leaving a glowing figure smiling ferally in the middle of the body-strewn room.

Allowing his other half to revel in the rare feeling of freedom, as well as the satisfaction of a good workout, Quatre quietly soaked up the emotions his other half was picking up from the room and the people in it. Images of children laughing, houses, pets and past jobs all filtered through with the original emotion, and Quatre accepted the knowledge it gifted him.

The sudden image of himself, standing with his head thrown back, eyes closed, and glowing, made him snap his head up. Golden eyes glinting.

Somewhere in this room, someone was watching him. That wasn't what made the hairs on the back of Number Four's neck stand on end though, it was the fact that he hadn't been able to sense their presence, and even now the emotion accompanying the image was impossible for him to filter.

_}There's someone here. Why can't we sense them?{_

For anybody else, talking to yourself would be seen as a bad thing, and asking yourself questions wouldn't get you any answers. In the case of Number Four, and any of the other experiment subjects though, doing such a thing was often quite helpful. Seeing how their 'other half' was fully capable of answering them, something the scientists and researchers had no idea about, and never would if Quatre and the others had their way.

_}He doesn't want to be sensed. So he isn't.{_

Number Four's other half - the Empath, was often too gentle to handle the things they were ordered to do, and as such Number Four had to shield him a lot more than most. However, he had a thing against people ganging up on others, and if pushed far enough was perfectly capable of relishing the fight. Unfortunately, he was often rather oblique, and it could take quite a while to get a proper answer out of him if you were anybody other than Number Four. Such a trait wasn't his fault though, he was often too wrapped up in the things he was sensing to realise he wasn't being much help.

_}We can sense anything though - and why is it we can't decipher his emotions? I can feel we're receiving them, yet…I can't quite get a grasp on them…{_

}I told you. He doesn't want to be sensed. So he turned himself into a void.{

}You mean we can't get a bead on his emotions, because he has, in effect, what? Wiped them clean?{

}Yep. Look for the absence, and you'll find the source.{

A piece of advice that would have confused any other, but Number Four merely began scanning the room with all of his senses. The gold in his eyes melted back into turquoise, as the Empath in him withdrew, and the glow began to be sucked back beneath his skin.

Reaching the corner of the room the blank-faced nurse had once stood, Number Four was unable to read anything from there. There weren't even the normal lingering memories contained in the wall. Stepping over the blood spattered body of the nurse without giving it another look, Number Four walked up to the wall.

Stopping an arm length away, he cocked his head to the side and allowed his curiosity to spill out through his eyes.

"Hi, who are you?"

Not a thing moved, but Quatre picked up on a ripple of emotion, triggered by surprise even if it didn't feel like anything much in particular. Concluding it must be one of the missing scientists, the experiment had been a success, and as such he'd probably been treated badly by his captors, Number Four asked for his other half's help.

Whilst the Empath emanated as much sincerity and friendliness as he could muster, Number Four slowly extended his hand in a non-threatening gesture of friendship. Hoping the other wouldn't pick up that the feelings being broadcast were artificially generated and feel manipulated, Number Four attempted the basic approach again, calling on memories from when he was still human to recall what proper protocol was.

"Pleased to meet you, my name is Quatre Raberba Winner. What's your name?"

Keeping his expression open and friendly was extremely hard to do, as Number Four was more used to having to hide everything he thought and felt from his 'owners', but when an invisible hand cautiously grasped his own, he was distantly surprised to find he was able to dredge up a very real smile.

At his touch, the invisibility encompassing his watcher drew back, revealing him an inch at a time. To Number Four it looked as though the person had just stepped right out of the wall, and he had to admit it did look like a handy skill to have. The fact that it would make him a very valuable asset to Romefella if they were to ever discover it, was bad news, but not insurmountable.

Finally, Number Four found himself looking up, into a single dark green eye, the partner of which was hidden by a lock of rich brown hair. A ring of lighter, creamy green, bleeding out of the man's eye told Number Four that the scientist's other half was backing off.

"My name is Trowa Barton."

Taking in the husky voice, and the hushed tone it was used with, Number Four assumed the missing scientist had adapted to the idea of being under surveillance, which was a good sign for his stay with Romefella.

Looking down at their still-joined hands, Number Four suddenly realised his hands were covered with blood, and yet this new test subject had taken the hand offered and refrained from commenting.

Apologising hurriedly, Quatre dropped Trowa's hand as though it were burning, and took an abrupt step back. Lowering his gold-tinted gaze to the floor, Number Four berated himself for stuttering, something he hadn't done since the experiment had been performed on him.

Unfortunately, the brief amount of time he'd allowed Trowa to see his emotions had been too long, and after having been repressed for years, his emotions jumped at the chance of being unleashed. Gritting his teeth, Quatre closed his eyes and attempted to ride out the onslaught.

Flashbacks of things he'd seen and done tore through him, the accompanying emotions he'd suppressed at the time, tearing through him in quick succession. The impotent rage, and sorrow he'd felt at his situation. The pain and horror from the destruction he'd been forced to inflict. The agony and degradation he'd suffered as they'd beaten the humanity out of him when he'd failed to perform to their satisfaction.

Number Four's mind was incapable of handling such a torrent of images and emotions, for the sole reason that they were his own, and, unable to find a mental outlet, they began to manifest physically.

Wide, curving slashes appeared on both arms, the black material of his jumper gaping to flash pale skin, and blood seeping out. Harsh stab wounds appeared on his upper body, front and back, blood running in a rivulet to join with that from his other wounds. The burning pain wracked Number Four's body, as the Empath huddled in a corner of his mind, ragged scream after ragged scream wrenched from his throat, sounding his agony as he attempted to hold on.

As he crumpled to the floor, the body which had previously only borne splatters of the guards' blood, eagerly soaked up its own. Blonde hair turned a coppery red, and aqua eyes began to slide closed, as the remnants of gold were burned away.

A gentle hand reached out and touched the figure's forehead, a soothing coolness radiating out from the touch.

As the cool washed over him, Quatre flinched slightly, recoiling before he realised there were no images, no emotions, just a cool wind, sweeping the pain away. Relaxing into the touch, the Empath slowly uncoiled, releasing its tight grasp on reality bit by bit. Finding nothing trying to tear him away, he slid open Number Four's blazing gold eyes, and gifted his saviour with a grateful smile, before handing charge back to Number Four.

Slightly dull, turquoise eyes slid slowly open, waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, Number Four frowned slightly, then started to heave himself off the floor.

Helping hands slid around his waist, taking the majority of his weight, and guiding him upright. Wobbling unsteadily, Number Four blearily wondered why he was having such trouble focusing, and cautiously lowered his gaze to the floor, just to check he really was upright.

Vibrant red met his gaze, and for a moment Number Four thought he was standing over a red sea. Finally his gaze focused, memories clicked into place, and he was back at operational level, although there was still a weary cast to his gaze he couldn't completely hide yet.

Ignoring the sticky feeling gained from being drenched in congealing blood, Number Four raised wary eyes to the person the Empath deemed 'saviour'.

Startling green eyes met his own, and the diminishing lighter green colour was in full appearance, blazing in intensity and giving the bearer a slightly blind look, so milky was the tint.

_}So, I'm guessing your power isn't just to go invisible, huh?{_

Trowa blinked in minor surprise at hearing Number Four's voice inside his head, but since he was already aware he and Duo were able to communicate in such a way it didn't throw him for long.

_}I don't go invisible. I become the complete absence of something. It appears I have the ability to share this absence, but it is basically the same thing. I just washed out your system in effect. I've answered your question, so, if you don't mind, maybe you could tell me what you are?{_

}I'm one of the original experiments. Since you used to be a scientist here, I'm guessing you are aware of what that means. Unlike you, I am what is best described as an Empath. Whilst I'm capable of handling other people's emotions though, I am not so great with my own. You just witnessed an overload. Anyway, that's not important, though I thank you for your assistance. I was sent here with a partner, by Romefella, to destroy any data on the experiments, find you and the other scientist, then destroy the building.{

Raking his now-deep green eyes up and down the little figure still clutching at his arms for balance, Trowa registered the flicker of amusement going through his mind with an almost indiscernible quirk of his lips.

"Hey! I felt that you know!"

At the indignant look he now found himself being levelled with, Trowa attempted to keep the flicker of amusement from turning into full-blown laughter. Even knowing how dangerous this Quatre was from what little was known about the test subjects, not to mention the demonstration he'd been unwittingly granted, Trowa couldn't help feel the effect of the threat was on a par with that of a enraged chipmunk.

"Look, as amusing as you seem to find it, we do have something of the utmost seriousness to discuss here."

To Trowa it looked as though Number Four had slipped into regular speech in his exasperation, but in reality, he'd just completed a scan for any verbal monitors, and besides his own comm link, which he'd already blocked with his powers, and a phone on the wall, the room appeared to be clear.

"Right, sorry."

"Hmph. Anyway, as I was trying to explain. The people who sent me, Romefella, are the bigger organisation for which this laboratory used to work. We weren't told about this affiliation, but it is our belief that they went against orders to refrain from the experiments, and thus Romefella decided it was time to pull the plug on the operation here."

"We don't know what they have planned for you once we return to base, but as long as they decide to keep you on as agents we will be able to help you. Now, some general words of caution; we never let them know the full extent of our abilities, and we never let them know about our 'alternate egos'. If we act slightly odd on occasion they assume it is what they term the 'battle lust', given how so many of our other personalities are rather…violent. They will no doubt want to examine you, test you, train you and put you to work for them. That's all very well, but we've all decided we don't want to be treated like animals any more. We have a plan to escape. I can't go into details here, as it is we still need to find your partner, my partner, blow this place sky high, and get the hell out of here, but I promise you will find out more later."

"Just…know you can trust any of us who have been experimented on. We all have the same instincts, and the same urge for freedom. We protect each other, and if you agree to join us, you will have the same protection, which extends to death."

Examining the carefully blank eyes pointed his way, Trowa wavered uncertainly. A spark of earnestness shone through, a glint of gold edged around Quatre's eyes, and a shudder ran through his body from the toll it took for him to allow even that much emotion to seep through.

Accepting the boy's word with a silent nod, Trowa held his breath until the gold glow faded, and Quatre's eyes were once more emotionless. Briefly tightening his grip around Quatre's slender waist, Trowa tentatively reached out with his mind.

_}Next time I hesitate, I'd rather you not put yourself in that kind of danger, just to allow me a glimpse of your emotions. Particularly when you are as weak as you are now{_

}I am not weak! I could take on twice the amount of people I did in here, and still be able to walk away without a scratch!{

}I wasn't questioning your physical strength. I was questioning your mental strength.{ Trowa quickly replied with, another flicker of amusement chasing through him, with Quatre's mental chipmunk impersonation.

_}That's all right then. Now, let's go find your partner - I assume he was changed like you, and is somewhere in the building, correct?{_

}Yes. I think he went to take out the mainframe, and as a result disengage security cameras and the like. We planned on escaping ourselves, but I think I will help you escape from your own captors first. Most likely Duo will agree with my decision - he is not very tolerant of being imprisoned.{

}My partner was meant to work from the mainframe! He…isn't as good with people as I am.{

}Maybe we should get a move on - just in case something happens.{

}Good idea.{

Sharing a brief look of complete understanding, Trowa moved over to the doorway at Quatre's gesture, agreeing that the direct route would likely serve best. Taking one last look at Quatre's face before going through the door, Trowa almost pitied any guards who tried to stop them. Almost.

****

I hope you like this chapter - I tried to expand on 'Number Four's' character, and I personally am very pleased with the way I introduced Quatre's split personality (which literally is two people - although they are both a part of him)

Anyway, hope you liked my introduction of Trowa - I put in the action one reviewer requested, although I did make it a bit shorter than perhaps wanted, and I also added a bit to the plot. R&R please? I worked my fingers off, so I think I deserve it! smarties to all who reviewed/review


	3. Mission Part Two

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, or any of its characters, so don't sue me!

Pairings: 1x2 3x4 5x6x13 (thanks to the person who reviewed and corrected my number mistake - I don't know french I'm afraid) maybe SxR and HxDxN not sure yet…

Plot:Pretty usual fare. Governments experimenting on people in an attempt to create the 'perfect' agents. Unfortunately for them they aren't quite sure what they've succeeded in creating this time. Their masterpieces complete missions with ease and are more than the governments ever thought they'd get, but…the governments don't know just what the extent of those capabilities really are, and whilst they appear to be loyal at the moment, they don't know how long that will remain to be the case.

__

}Telepathic speech{

}Comm Link speech{

****

Chapter One - Mission Underfire

A strand of mahogany hair dropped in front of his eye, but a negligent flick tossed it out of the way again, all attention remaining riveted on the interesting person whose presence had created the most unusual of problems.

Duo Maxwell, scientist extraordinaire, had been through a lot in recent times. Almost as much as he'd been through earlier in his life, and about ten times more damaging to his psyche. Afterall, when you finally manage to land the job of your dreams, at the tender age of twenty, after struggling on the streets all of your childhood, the last thing you expect to happen is to be abducted by your co-workers and then illegally experimented on!

Still, he could cope with that - it wasn't exactly something he'd been anticipating, but Duo was good at adapting. Even better than before thanks to the procedure they had forced him through.

Now though, when he and his fellow captive - a quiet, but brilliant, scientist called Trowa Barton - had finally succeeded in putting an escape plan into action, and it was actually going well, this had to happen.

Duo had been merrily going about his business of hacking into the security systems via the mainframe computers, when along comes somebody else to also hack into the mainframe. Not only that but the guy had to be the hottest thing Duo had ever seen - and seemed as mean as a snake with it, from what Duo could tell.

The guards at the door, who Duo had skilfully slipped past, had been brutally neutralised by the newcomer. Then those who were manning the computers at the time - on whom Duo had used his powers to keep from noticing anything out of the ordinary - were put out of the equation with a single, deadly shot, from the new guy's gun.

From what Duo had seen it was obvious the guy was a professional at this sort of thing, unlike himself who merely happened to have an affinity with computers and such thanks to his brain's capacity for knowledge. The guy had calmly strolled in, ignoring the bodies littering the room, and immediately set to work on the computer - laying his gun on the counter top in front of him.

Luckily, Duo's instincts from the streets were still fully operational, and he'd moved from his position an instant before the dark-clothed figure had nicked his computer console. Probably the smart thing to do, given the others either had blood or a body on them. But this posed a problem for Duo a minute later, when the product of the guy's activities shut down all of the computers barring the one he was still using. If Duo were to hack into the mainframe and disable the security in order for him and Trowa to escape, he needed to use the computer that the homicidal maniac was currently leaning over.

To begin with he'd decided to wait until the guy had finished his job and gone - but Duo wasn't exactly known for his patience, and, given there were probably a lot of people searching for him and Trowa by now, he was beginning to feel distinctly edgy.

A familiar feeling of panic descended over him, as his mind revisited on him all of the times people had been after him, and what had happened to him when he'd stopped running, hesitated or simply gone too slowly.

Letting the killer in him surge forwards, Duo dropped down from the ceiling, eyes burning an eerie amber glow.

Landing on his feet behind the guy in black, Shinigami silently swung his fist at the back of the guy's head. One quick blow and Duo would have the computer to himself.

A callused hand caught Shinigami's fist in a crushing grip. Raising startled amber eyes, Shinigami found them met and challenged by a pair of deep prussian blue. Letting loose an unbalanced cackle, Shinigami grinned maniacally as he watched metallic silver ice over the previously human-eyes.

Ripping his hand loose, Shinigami quickly kicked the gun out of his opponents' hand, as Duo idly wondered where it came from - given that the one he'd used upon entrance was still on the counter. Shrugging off the query as unimportant, Shinigami ignored Duo in favour of the tousle-haired man before him.

His brief distraction had evidently been distracted enough however, as a searing pain erupted in his torso, where the other person had rammed a knife in to the hilt. Twisting to the side, Shinigami rolled backwards, taking the piece of metal with him.

Rising to a crouch, Shinigami barely had time to catch the foot aimed at his head. Whilst his hands were still occupied with one booted foot, the other of the pair swung up and caught him in the torso, making him release the foot and retreat once more.

Not hesitating to crouch this time, he ripped the knife out of his side and came up swinging.

A line appeared on his opponent's bare arm, just below where the black sleeve ended, but the man bent over backwards to avoid Shinigami's follow-up stab. Kicking straight out while still bent over, he managed to catch Shinigami in the chin.

Flipping over 270°, Duo's body landed face down with a thud. Feeling the swish of air above him, he swiftly rolled to the right. Glad to have avoided the sword which was stuck, quivering, in the floor, Shinigami grabbed his opponent by the legs and kicked at the guy's shoulder, flipping him over.

Going with the motion, Shinigami trapped the guy's legs into place with one of his own, then arched over the figure's body in order to pin his head down with one forearm against his neck. Trapping both of the guy's arms with his other leg, Shinigami used his free arm to raise the bloody knife he'd kept a hold of.

Seeing a brief flicker of blue peek through the silver, Shinigami could have sworn he also saw those eyes widen slightly, but brushed it off and prepared to kill the guy. Not exactly something he wanted to do, but on a par with killing a pig at the moment.

However, before he'd even finished drawing the knife back for the plunge, the body beneath him gave a massive shudder and arched upwards. Caught by surprise, Shinigami found himself flying through the air, only to stop when he reached the wall.

Rising from the floor, Shinigami shrugged the impact off with a fluid movement, then turned to meet with the other once more.

Moving from their particular positions, they came to meet on the middle of the floor, blade of choice in hand, eyeing each other's movements for weak spots.

Shinigami had just started to make the first move, when the door to the office opened, and a blonde figure entered the room.

Seeing the two figures' and their condition, as well as the fact that one of them was in motion, the blonde newcomer held out one hand, his golden eyes glinting with urgency.

A sudden overdosing of regret and sorrow swamped Shinigami's system. Forcing his retreat, and driving Duo to his knees on the floor. A glance up a moment later showed his opponent leaning weakly against the computer counter top, no tears on his face, but a dazed expression non-the-less.

An instant later the emotions retreated, and Duo could breathe easier - well comparatively easier, considering the hole in his stomach. At the sound of clapping, Duo looked up, surprised to see the source of the sound was Trowa, who was leaning casually against the doorframe as though such a sight were an everyday occurrence.

Noting the look of rebuke the blonde aimed at Trowa, Duo took an immediate interest, but a glance from his friend told him now might not be the best time for such a question. Later would have to do.

Feeling Shinigami hovering at the ready, Duo cautiously eased himself up into a crouch. When that garnered no attack from the brunette, he found himself slowly rising to his feet. Once there however, he was unable to contain his wince, as the belated pain from the stab wound kicked in.

"Number One, what did you do!"

The alarmed voice immediately drew Duo's attention away from his wound, and a sharp glance up showed it was the blonde who was now berating his opponent for something. That wasn't what caught the ex-scientist's attention however, it was the robotic tone the blonde spoke with that accomplished that. Almost like he was going through the motions of having feelings, but he already knew what 'Number One' had done, and had in fact been expecting it.

Angling his violet eyes towards his friend, Duo knew his expression would have broadcast his query well enough, but a brief touch from his mind helped it along just in case. An acknowledging glance from Trowa told him his guess was correct, and Duo was incapable of remaining silent.

"Holy Mary Mother of God!! You two are the real deal?!" Eyes sparkling with excitement, Duo moved towards the group near the doorway, mouth already moving nine to the dozen in an attempt to keep up with his thoughts.

"You guys were among the first to be experimented on? That makes you like the shepherd to our sheep, the frog to our tadpole, the cheesecake to our cheese!…You get the picture."

Shaking his head slightly to get rid of the mental image of a giant cheesecake with a fork sticking in it, Duo recognised the fact that he hadn't eaten anything in a while, and the therefore strong likelihood that he'd start making even more food references if he wasn't careful.

"Is it true the originals are stronger, faster…just generally better than those of us who were experimented on later - or is that just what they say to make you train harder? Mind you, we weren't actually turned when they told us that stuff…and we haven't been trained as such either…"

"Duo!"

"Yeah?" Big, violet eyes blinked innocently at shadowed green, ignorant of the two 'originals' blinking in robotic bemusement, and rather in the dark on what he was talking about.

"They're just like us, only they've been subjected to who-knows what training, which has basically stamped out their morals and emotions. As such they can't understand how to react to your behaviour, and can you please knock off the questioning? You're still treating the whole thing as an experiment, nevermind the fact that we are the subjects of said experiment, and are now at the mercy of those who masterminded the whole operation!"

Blinking in his own bemusement, Duo watched the exasperation flicker across his friend's face, and could think of only one way to respond.

"Wow, Trowa - I think that's the most I've ever heard you say!"

Giving an exasperated grunt, Trowa's green eye flicked over to the other two who had yet to add to the conversation. Taking in their expressions, he rather imagined that was how they'd look if they'd been hit by a truck.

Turning away slightly to hide the twitching of his lips, Trowa had to concede with his other half, in that Duo did tend to have that effect on a person, so who knew what damage he'd wreak at the facility where Quatre and the new person, Number One, were kept.

_}The prospect of seeing that is more than enough to make me 'give myself in' to those bastards - it would serve them right, and I definitely want to see their faces.{_

Silently agreeing with him, a warm flood of approval was the only way his other half articulated his opinion to him.

Approaching his partner in science, Trowa ripped a strip of cloth from the white medical gown he'd been forced to wear since the experiment had been performed on him. Putting pressure on Duo's stab wound, he deftly wrapped the material round the slim man's waist a couple of times, before securely tying it off.

Giving Trowa a wry smile of appreciation, Duo then transferred one of his own hands to the job of keeping pressure on the bandage, at least until it could be tended to properly. "Thanks Tro-kun!"

Noticing the neutral gaze of Number One taking in the action, Trowa figured this was probably the first time he'd seen someone aid a person in such a way, without even asking for the help. Maybe they're going back with them would do more then just screw up the Romefella project.

"They probably expect you two to have finished up here by now, right?"

"Yeah!" Quatre quickly jumped into the gap, back on more familiar ground, and obviously glad to be there - despite the neutral expression also masking his emotions.

"Why don't you blow the place, Number One, and we can fill Duo in on the way back? I already briefed Trowa."

"Hn." Pulling out a slim black object from one of the many pockets on his black combat pants, Number One pressed a button with an inscrutable expression on his face.

It was only as they were exiting via the vents, that Number One spoke.

"My name is Heero Yuy."

****

I didn't think this chapter was too bad, until the end - that kind of came out a bit crap. Oops! Oh well, I hope it doesn't effect the rest of the fic negatively.

Long wait between chapters I know, sorry! I've been trying to write and update my fics for weeks now, but I keep getting sidetracked and my muse appears to have wandered off as well recently - everything is conspiring against me!!

R&R, please - I really need the encouragement right now! chocolate brownies to those who review


	4. Debriefing: Out of time

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, or any of its characters, so don't sue me!

Pairings: 1x2 3x4 5x6x13 (thanks to the person who reviewed and corrected my number mistake - I don't know french I'm afraid) maybe SxR and HxDxN not sure yet…

Plot:Pretty usual fare. Governments experimenting on people in an attempt to create the 'perfect' agents. Unfortunately for them they aren't quite sure what they've succeeded in creating this time. Their masterpieces complete missions with ease and are more than the governments ever thought they'd get, but…the governments don't know just what the extent of those capabilities really are, and whilst they appear to be loyal at the moment, they don't know how long that will remain to be the case.

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Telepathic speech

Comm Link speech

****

Chapter Two - Reports and cover-ups

Taking in the blank expressions turned his way, he was incapable of stopping the shiver he always felt when in the presence of the test subjects. Still, just because they gave him the willies was no reason to go easy on them. What good was going to all the trouble of stamping out their humanity, if you were just going to molly coddle them like children?

Raking a hand through his short silver hair, Instructor Kenneth made sure his displeasure was fully communicated to the pair before him. Pacing helped to relieve some of his stress, but the unblinking way he was being watched gave him the impression of a cat with a canary, so he quickly came to a halt in front of the two bane's of his existence. Well, two of the bane's any way.

"…Not only did you not retrieve the information as requested, you also set the bombs in the wrong place! Now, the authorities have evidence that the facility was deliberately blown up. Do you have any idea what that kind of stunt means to our operation? What am I saying? - even if you did, you wouldn't care!"

No response came from the two black figures, and their expressions never flickered. Effective training, at any rate.

"The only redeeming part of this mission has to be that fact that you managed to successfully remove the two subjects. They are currently being evaluated, and I truly hope they prove to be useful, otherwise you two could be looking at an overhaul!"

Spinning on his heel, Kenneth strode out of the holding cell, not waiting to see the impact of his words like he would when he'd been in the army. No, Instructor Kenneth was already well aware there would be no impact on those two. Such as they were incapable of feeling anything - made them ruddy good soldiers, but reprimanding them was a waste of time.

Flicking a quick look at the two 'normal' guards he and Heero had been left with, the Empath reached out and 'tugged' at their emotions.

Leaving the guards momentarily trapped in their own issues, Quatre turned to Heero, gold vanishing from his eyes in a blink - leaving no trace of his alter-ego - something they'd all learnt to do, in case somebody happened to be watching.

"Do you think they'll pass?"

Heero grunted: his way of showing derision at the question.

Although the experimentation had caused many of the test subjects to retreat into themselves, giving them all a rather robotic quality - Heero, Number One, was a special case, in that his other half was the perfect soldier, and thus completely emotionless anyway.

Heero's eyes were almost always a perfect mix of blue and silver, something which led the scientists to believe that his natural eye colour was just a very light blue, but it was, in actuality, the result of his other half always lurking in the background.

All of the subjects had enhanced senses, and the majority of them had now gained an affinity for fighting - something that they had all been trained in since, to prepare them for their 'missions'.

Heero had excelled in all areas he applied his concentration, but appeared most adept at killing, due to his complete detachment from the victims - such skill earned him the rank of Number One. The best out of all the test subjects.

Number Two came in the form of a tall young man with long blond hair. His alter-ego was called the 'lightning count', and he could literally call electric energy to his hands. Their keepers and the scientists who studied them were unaware of this talent of course, but the man's proficiency with blades had earned him his rank of second.

Then came the only subject who had actually been foolish enough to volunteer for the procedure, something they had come to regret - a woman, whose alter-ego, the 'warmonger', had the ability to create disharmony in people, and weave chaos. Not only did her abilities with blades nearly match Number Two, but her general cold-bloodedness also gained her the distinction of Number Three.

Despite Quatre's dislike of killing, his ability to sense what others were feeling came in very handy when performing hand-to-hand combat, as it helped predict what moves his opponent would make, and for that reason he was more skilled than Number Five at fighting.

Much to Number Five's distaste, the only reason the 'lone dragon' had managed to beat Number Six to his position, was due to her hatred for any kind of fighting. Afterall, someone who's alter-ego was called the 'peacemaker', and whose ability was tele-coercion - in the name of good - was hardly likely to put up a fight over where she was ranked, abilities-wise.

Knowing the other man wouldn't say anything more at the moment, Quatre left Heero to his thinking, whatever it was, and silently padded over to the oblivious guards, deciding to do some extra preparation for their big escape.

After every mission the subjects who'd been sent were always left in the holding cell which acted as a debriefing room, for half an hour minimum - a psychological test of whether or not they would attempt to escape during that time. As if they were dim enough to not notice the 'hidden' cameras set up in the corridor outside, aimed at the only exit from the room. Nevertheless, such procedure gave them all a chance to interact with one another, and had enabled them to form their escape plan.

Stretching out a delicate finger, Quatre lightly touched the first guard on the forehead. Using the direct contact, the Empath quickly established a conduit, and eased into the man's subconscious, finding his fears and pulling them as near to the surface as he dared. When the time was right it would now take Quatre barely half a second to trigger a panic attack.

Moving on to the second guard, Quatre had to stand on tiptoes to reach the man's forehead - but he soon accomplished his task, and turned back to Heero.

Cold silver covered the entire of the man's eyes, and the effect was rather disconcerting - the first time Quatre had witnessed it he had been convinced the man's eyes had been replaced by metal. Now though, he knew Heero was merely consulting with his other side. Though how you could do something as mundane as 'consult' with a perfect soldier, he didn't know.

Blinking the self-induced haze away, Heero turned to the patiently waiting Number Two.

"We have examined the skill of the scientist, Duo Maxwell, and he almost matches our performance. His only weakness is a lack of discipline. If he performs like that for the judges, there is no doubt he will pass, assuming the skill does not require the full presence of his other half."

"What about Trowa Barton? Do you think he will pass?"

Pausing to think, a line appeared on Heero's brow, but the thought that the other man might be frowning was too out of character, and Quatre dismissed it.

"We did not get a chance to observe his fighting skills, but if he is anything like his partner he will pass. Besides, the current rarity of a successful experiment means that they are trying to keep all of those who do survive it - Number Six being a perfect example. If Trowa Barton fails to pass, they will simply train him in other areas they feel are important."

For the first time in a long time there was no trace of silver in Heero's blue eyes, and for a moment they almost seemed to emanate some kind of emotion. The trace was gone before the Empath could get a lock on it, but for that instant it was almost like Heero was attempting to reassure him.

Footsteps reached their sensitive ears before Quatre could make any response, and the Empath quickly loosed his grip on the guard's emotions.

Consulting his internal clock, a flicker of surprise made itself known, before he squashed down the emotion. _Heero, they're coming early - warn as many of the others that you can reach when they take us out of here. If this isn't a one-off, we may have to move our escape forward._

Ninmu ryoukai

Taking the affirmative for what it was, Quatre looked up from his intense survey of the grey carpeted floor just as the door opened.

Seeing which Doctor had just entered the cell, the Empath backed away from Quatre's conscious, and huddled in on himself. Unsurprised by this reaction, Quatre didn't even blink, not even when the Doctor's robotic eyes fixed on him directly.

Doctor J - one of the more dreaded Doctors, he believed in a hands-on approach when training the experiments, and you were far more likely to exit the training room injured than when with the other Doctors. Upon his first encounter with the man, when he'd barely had time to adjust to suddenly having an other half, the Empath had unwittingly left them both wide open to reading the man…lets just say the experience had left a lasting impression on them both.

Unfortunately, their reaction had also intrigued the Doctor, and the Empath always picked up a faint trace of suspicion when left in J's presence. Luckily, or unluckily, the Doctor had taken an immediate liking to Number One, and commandeered that subject's training almost from the beginning.

Spotting the nervous aide behind the Doctor, and the white bag clutched in his grasp, Quatre realised they were there to take care of any injuries - most likely the cut on Heero's arm, there courtesy of Duo Maxwell.

Leaving the door wide open, Doctor J motioned for them to follow him, before he then exited the cell. Resisting the urge to look over at Heero, Quatre went through the door first.

This was unprecedented - granted Doctor J was one of the few here that dared turn his back on the subjects, but if they were wounded during a mission they were invariably given rudimentary treatment in the debriefing cell, before then being escorted to their 'personal' cells. Never had they been removed to the hospital ward for treatment, and this was only a scratch compared to some of the wounds they had received.

Monotonous corridors led one onto another, all going in a straight line, yet headed no where. Grey carpets, with white walls that looked grey in the dim light. Hanging lights illuminated sparse patches of space, and the rest lurked in gloom.

The scent was one of disinfectant, and all cells and corridors were cleaned every day - scrubbed down with the efficiency of hospital nurse, until it bore the impersonality of a hospital itself.

Yet despite the ultra-cleanliness of the place, the Empath could sense the silent screams in the walls - in the floors, in the very air.

As in the room he discovered Trowa, the past emotions tugged at him, trying to draw the Empath in and trap him there.

With the ease of long practice, Quatre ignored the tug, leaving it to the Empath to ward off the nightmares it triggered.

Reaching the hospital ward, Heero and Quatre both registered the sounds emanating from within, and the fact that it sounded like a fight was occurring.

Doctor J's aide pushed the doors open for them, and Quatre felt a chill go down his spine: the only time he'd felt something similar was when the Empath had sensed Number Three using her powers for fun.

Entering the room calmly, Quatre didn't flinch at the sight awaiting him, although a slight pulse of emotion did seem to come from Heero's direction.

The normally uniformly-tidy hospital ward was in complete disarray - bandages littered the floor, as did syringes. Bottles of medication were strewn across the floor, some shattered so that liquid of varying hues crept across the white-tiled floor.

The five hospital cots, used when the subjects had serious injuries, were all overturned - sheets torn to shreds, and restraints for the subjects hanging in pathetic strips.

That wasn't what immediately caught the attention, though. No, what caught the attention was the bodies of hospital staff littering the room like confetti.

Perched on the remains of a cupboard, cackling like a madman, and waving the dismembered arm of a nurse, was Duo Maxwell.

In his left hand, Duo had a bloody scalpel, and as they observed, he began cutting strips of flesh off the nurse's arm, cheerfully humming a song under his breath.

Standing in the corner, untouched by the destruction of the room, and miraculously bloodless - stood Trowa, calmly smoking a cigarette underneath the 'no smoking' sign.

__

What are you two doing? Are you trying to get yourselves killed?

Despite Heero's telepathic voice maintaining its normal robotic quality, Quatre could sense a tenseness in Number One's body, something the Empath sensed corresponded with his internal state.

__

They were talking about cutting Duo's braid off to maximise his efficiency - and when they approached with the scalpel, he flipped. I figured I'd leave him to it, seeing how he was doing what I felt like doing to them.

Thinking it through quickly, Quatre looked at Heero out of the corner of his eye.

Doctor J was waiting for them to say something - ask what was required of them probably, but when he noticed Quatre's action he too began to look over at Heero. Luckily, just then Duo threw the nurse's arm.

Spinning round and round like a boomerang, the limb didn't stop until it crashed into the Doctor's chest - splattering blood all over Doctor J, and sending him stumbling back with the force of the throw.

Whilst Duo was distracting the Doctor, Heero consulted with the perfect soldier; eyes vanishing under metal whilst they calculated chances of success.

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Hai. Contact the others

Reaching as far as he could, Quatre let the others know what was going on, and told them their escape had been moved forward to immediately - simultaneously letting the Empath loose on the guards who'd followed behind them from the debriefing cell.

Using the easy access he'd already created, the Empath triggered their deepest fears, then turned his attention to Doctor J's aide - leaving the Doctor himself to Heero's tender mercies.

Diving into a handstand, Quatre's foot connected with the aide's cranium, knocking him unconscious. Righting himself, Quatre looked over at Heero in time to see Number One kick the Doctor in the ribs, then slam his arm down on the man's bent back.

Landing with a thud, a small stream of blood trickled out from the Doctor's lips as his lab coat settled around him like limp wings.

Bending down to the unconscious figure's level, Number One put his mouth next to J's ear. "I am _not_ your 'son'."

Straightening up again, Heero glanced over at the two cowering guards - one of whom had wetted himself, whilst the other clawed at invisible things on the floor - then nodded a slight acknowledgement of the Empath's talent.

Stubbing out his cigarette on the poster, Trowa made his way to the exit, stepping over and around the bodies and pools of liquid in his way. Dropping down from the ruined cupboard with a catlike agility, Duo cleaned off the scalpel before joining them.

Misinterpreting Quatre's mild look for one of rebuke, Duo shrugged. "What? It's the only weapon I've got!"

Shaking his head slightly at Duo's antics, Heero turned and led the way through the maze of corridors. Hearing the sound of feet they all slowed down, putting their backs against the cold wall.

Suddenly the feet stopped, there was the sound of a brief scuffle, then the thud of bodies hitting the floor. No one cried out.

Looking round the corner, Heero grunted them continued walking. Flicking a bemused look at Quatre and Trowa, Duo found no help there as two equally blank faces stared back at him. Repressing his sigh of annoyance, Shinigami rounded the corner as well.

Feral amber eyes took in the two new figures who were nodding a greeting to Heero. One of them, a man with long blonde hair, was leaning casually against one of the walls, waiting for Heero to make his way towards them.

The second man, a shorter, chinese, man, with black hair that tied up so tightly Duo couldn't tell how long it, was stood tensely over the lifeless body of a guard. A long sword was held easily in his right hand, and his left hand was tensed for action. Black eyes shot over to Duo, and in the shifting light Shinigami found it hard to distinguish what colour they actually were - one second they appeared to be as black as coal, then they appeared to lighten to brown.

Movement behind him signified Quatre and Trowa had turned the corner, and with a flicker of his eyes purple replaced the blazing amber, as Shinigami retreated from the fore.

"Introductions?" Duo asked, tone hopeful.

The chinese man bowed slightly, body remaining tense. "I am Chang Wufei, Number Five - this is Zechs Merquise, Number Two, and you are?"

"Duo Maxwell, no number - and this here's Trowa Barton. Also no number."

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We need to continue moving

Heero's mind-voice was as brusque as ever, and he'd already started moving before he'd finished the command.

Telling himself he shouldn't be bristling over such a minor slight, especially considering the training he'd heard all successful experiment subjects were put under - part of Duo couldn't help feeling hurt at the brush-off.

Falling into step behind Heero, they continued making their way for the exit of this hellhole institution, and gradually the distant sound of gunfire echoed down the abandoned corridors - and a klaxon roared to life.

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What the hell?! Duo remembered to keep his exclamation telepathic, just in case anybody was loitering around who might hear it, but he couldn't keep completely silent.

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That's the alarm to warn everyone that we've escaped. By keeping all of the cells and other rooms in the centre of the compound, it leaves us with no direct route to the outside, and we will eventually be forced to go through one of the heavily-guarded exits. Numbers Three and Six should have reached our targeted exit by now, and the gunfire we're hearing should be the result of their distraction

Quatre made it sound oh-so-reasonable…but something seemed slightly off.

__

Wait a second…we're distracting the exit we're planning to escape through? That's like warning them!

Don't be idiotic, Maxwell -these people are the ones who trained us, a fact we're all aware of, and they think us unimaginative enough to not come up with our own plan. Therefore, they'll think we're following our training, and distracting them at that exit, so we can make our escape through another. Meaning, they will not move any of their guards to the exit we have targeted, which they would do if they fell for our 'diversion', and will instead keep them spread thin - which is what we want them to do

The condescending voice obviously belonged to Wufei, and since Duo didn't have a number, he'd obviously deemed him unworthy of being addressed by his first name. Letting out a low growl, Shinigami crowded to the surface, wanting to taste the other man's blood.

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We have been planning this for a long time. Nothing can go wrong

The robotic voice sounded blank enough, but when Duo targeted amber-tinged eyes at Heero, he found them caught and held by comforting sapphire blue.

Suddenly feeling a ton better, Duo bounded ahead of the group, letting Shinigami's senses lead him aright.

****

Oooh, cliffy! Will they make it out of the facility? Is Heero overcoming his robotic training? Why did Heero say what he did to Doctor J? Find out next chapter! (…I think)

Anyway, I'm sorry for the long wait on this chapter - and for the wait on all of my other fanfics as well! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I tried to make it slightly longer and get more in it than the last few.

R&R, please - I love knowing what you all think of my work, and getting random reviews does help get me motivated to write more.

offers plate of reindeer-shaped cookies, with yummy icing Merry X-Mas!!! 


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